


you are, you are my chosen, chosen family

by Sumi



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Family Fluff, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:47:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26329624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sumi/pseuds/Sumi
Summary: “... Watcher either you have something alive underneath that ratty cloak of yours or the cloak’s suddenly become sentient,” Edér muttered, brows furrowed in confusion.On the other side of Edér was Aloth who wore a pained expression on his face. “Lierin, did you take the Orlan child with us?”
Relationships: Vela & The Watcher (Pillars of Eternity)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5
Collections: Press Start VI





	you are, you are my chosen, chosen family

**Author's Note:**

  * For [revanchist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/revanchist/gifts).



The soft cooing from underneath her cloak caused Lierin to almost stop in her tracks. There hadn’t been so much as a peep from the baby since they left the Twin Elms. She supposed it was bound to happen because eventually, the child would have no choice but to express its need for food, a nappy change, or to make its contentment known to the world.

“... Watcher either you have something alive underneath that ratty cloak of yours or the cloak’s suddenly become sentient,” Edér muttered, brows furrowed in confusion.

On the other side of Edér was Aloth who wore a pained expression on his face. “Lierin, did you take the Orlan child with us?”

Lierin frowned. Leave it to Aloth to reveal her secret to the entire group at once. Once his words washed over everyone, there were a multitude of reactions. Pallegina shook her head, feathers ruffling in what Lierin thought was exasperation at her latest antics, while Hiravias grumbled something unheard underneath his breath. The best reaction was from Edér, who laughed. Durance’s death glare definitely had to be the worst.

She realized there was no other option but to confess. A sigh escaped Lierin as she pulled back her cloak to reveal the orphaned child resting comfortably in a sling strapped to the front of her chest. The child had fallen back to sleep at this point, much to her amusement and annoyance.

“I know you all have your opinions, but my mind is set,” Lierin said firmly.

Pallegina shook her head. “Watcher, please don’t tell me you plan to raise this child on the road.”

“Of course not! We’ll head straight to Caed Nua where she’ll be cared for,” Lierin explained. “Once we deal with Thaos, I’ll take over. Provided we survive that is.”

After that was settled they continued walking until it was finally time to make camp. She laid her cloak on the ground, setting the child on top of it so it would have a soft place to sleep that night. Lierin saw Aloth approaching from the corner of her eye and put herself between them and the sleeping child. The last thing she wanted to do was wake her up.

“Lierin could we speak?” Aloth asked, the tone just above a hushed whisper.

She nodded, following Aloth to a private spot just beyond their camp. “Look Aloth, if your going to lecture me--”

“I have no intention of lecturing you. All I wish to do is inform you that should you need help, I am here for you,” Aloth explained softly. “While it has not been easy, I do consider you a dear friend.”

The corners of her mouth twitched upward. “I appreciate it, Aloth.”

He returned her smile before letting out a sigh. “I must ask though. What possessed you to take the child with us?”

Lierin shrugged. “I didn’t think the child would be safe if we left her there. It’s as simple as that.”

He nodded in understanding.

No one questioned her again after that. They left the child-who she had started to call Vela-at Caed Nua and continued on in their pursuit of Thaos. Lierin was determined to survive—not just for the child, but also for herself and the rest of her companions.

By the time Lierin and her companions finally made their way back to Caed Nua, they were battered, bruised, tired, but also vindicated because Thaos was no longer a threat. Of course, Lierin had a new challenge on the horizon called motherhood, one she had not fully thought through during her impulsive adoption of Vela.

The first few weeks were difficult. Back in The White that Wends, Lierin had watched several younger members of her clan during her younger years. It helped that at the end of the day they always went back to their parents. However, the more time that passed, the more comfortable Lierin became with the idea of parenting.

It wasn’t all easy, but a year or so later things were going smoothly. Vela was a rambunctious ball of energy, and one particular morning she decided to make her presence known by climbing onto Lierin’s bed and jumping up and down until she woke up.

Lierin sighed. “All right, I’m up Vela.”

Immediately stopped moving and sat on Lierin’s chest, a wide splitting grin making its way to her face. “Momma!”

It wasn’t as Vela hadn’t spoken before, but this was the first time she ever called her Momma. Normally she just called her ‘Rin’. The word caused Lierin to feel a mixture of emotions. On one hand, she was happy, but on the other, a feeling of guilt also made itself known.

Lierin wasn’t sure if she deserved to be called ‘Momma’. That title belonged to the person who had brought Vela into the world—even if she wasn’t present. Her thoughts continued to spiral until a snort of amusement from the doorway broke Lierin out of it.

In the open doorway stood Gamat, Caed Nua’s longest and most trusted worker. Lierin lifted a brow, eyeing up suspiciously.

“What’s so funny, old man?”

He chortled. “Lass, you look like a deer caught in the arrow’s path!”

Lierin winced. “A part of me doesn’t feel right about Vela calling me Momma.”

The amused expression on Gamat’s face was suddenly replaced with an almost scary serious one. It wasn’t a look Gamat often showed, but when he did, everyone at the keep knew he meant business—including Lierin.

“I’m posing a serious question to you, Lass, so don’t give me any of those funny looks,” he warned before continuing. “How many shit-filled nappies have you changed since acquiring the welp?”

“I… don’t know. Definitely too many to count,” Lierin answered, caught off guard by the strange question.

Gamat chuckled at her reaction. “And what about last week when the wee one found Cook’s secret stash of jam and ate all three jars?”

She couldn’t help but wince at the memory. Not only had Vela been covered in jam from head to toe, but the poor thing also ended up getting sick from how much she ate. It had been a tough night for everyone—but especially Vela.

“From the look on your face, I can tell you remember.”

“Gamat, what is your point?” Lierin asked in exasperation. “Stop with the cryptic talk and just tell me what you're trying to get at.”

He rolled his eyes. “My point is who but a parent would do those things? That alone means you're qualified to take the title of momma, Lass.”

After that moment, Lierin abandoned the ridiculous idea that she didn’t deserve the title of Vela’s parent. She embraced the role and raised the girl to the best of her ability. Things seemed to be going well. Until Eothas decided to destroy her damned castle and nearly take her life.

The day it happened, Lierin felt that something was off. There was a slight tremble throughout the ground, causing the Keep to lightly shake.

“My lady,” the Steward called out. “There is something happening below. I am not sure what it is, but I fear for the Keep and everyone inside.”

Lierin swallowed. “We need to evacuate.”

The first person Lierin sought out was Gamat. She told him to grab Vela and leave while warning everyone he could on their way out.

“Lass, what about you?”

“Yeah, what about you, Momma?” Vela piped up from behind Gamat.

Lierin ruffled Vela’s fur, flashing her a soft smile. “I need to make sure everyone gets out safely. Once I’m done I’ll meet up with you both, okay?”

It was clear her adopted daughter was less than thrilled with the plan. She frowned, puffing her cheeks out in frustration. However, Vela was a good kid and knew when not to argue. The child followed Gamat without any fuss.

Lierin was able to warn half the workers when everything suddenly went to shit. One minute she’s running out of the Keep’s main doors and the next she’s on the ground, screaming in pain. This deep, booming voice spoke to her, but Lierin couldn’t make out what it was saying. 

It wasn’t until speaking to Berath that she realized what happened. The moment Lierin was returned to her body, she shot up in bed and gasped in pain. She glanced at Edér, who was so shocked at her fully awake state that he nearly dropped his pipe.

“Watcher--”

Lierin held up ahead. “I’ll explain everything, but first you need to answer some of my questions. First of all, where the hell are we?”

“Ah, the Defiant. It’s your ship,” Edér answered, taking a few nervous puffs from his pipe. “We’ve been sailing for a few weeks now.”

“... I have a boat now?” she asked, ignoring the fact that Edér just casually mentioned it had been weeks since Eothas stole her soul.

Edér nearly choked. “Boat? Lierin, this is anything but a boat.”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, I have a ship then. How bad were the casualties at Caed Nua?”

“My lady had you not acted so quickly there would be many more dead,” the Steward spoke from her position next to the bed.

“That bad then,” Lierin responded flatly. She was suddenly hit with a wave of fear as her mind drifted to Vela and Gamat. “Vela! Is she okay?”

Lierin scrambled to her feet without even waiting for an answer. The moment her feet hit the floor, she felt her body start to sway.  
“The kid’s fine and so is the dwarf. Bruised, but both alive,” Edér said, jumping up so he could help steady Lierin.

She sighed in relief, attempting to tug her arm out of Edér’s grasp in order to sit down. He tightened his grip a bit, making Lierin frown.

“Edér I know I was only mostly dead, but I would like to get some rest. I’m rather exhausted.”

“We have a problem that needs to be taken care of first,” Edér explained sheepishly, one hand nervously rubbing the back of his head.

It seemed almost ironic that the second she is brought back, Lierin has to deal with yet another situation where her life is at risk. She didn’t truly have a chance to catch her breath until regrouping with everyone after washing up on the beach and trying to save what crew they could.

The first thing Lierin did was go up to Vela and pull her into a tight hug. Vela returned it, her face breaking out into a grin. It was a relief to find out she was okay.

To be honest, Lierin wasn’t looking forward to saving the world yet again. However, for Vela and her friends, Lierin figured she could try to do it a second time.


End file.
